If you have ever been stuck in traffic wishing your car could sprout wings, Samson Sky has been working on something pretty close.
uncertain
Sky → stick → something
Its Switchblade flying car can drive out of your garage and take you to a nearby airport.
asserted
car → fly → airport
Once there, the wings come out, the tail extends and the vehicle becomes an airplane.
asserted
vehicle → come → ?
You heard right, an airplane.
asserted
You → hear → airplane
After landing, everything folds back inside so you can drive the rest of the way.
asserted
you → fold → way
What makes Switchblade worth another look right now is that Samson says it has secured an $80 million investment from Dubai-based Matin Group.
asserted
it → make → Group
Samson plans to use the funding to help move the project toward U.S. production.
asserted
Samson → plan → production
The company still needs another $20 million to fully fund its current production plan.
asserted
company → need → plan
That new backing gets the Switchblade closer.
asserted
backing → get → Switchblade
But what really caught my attention is how much Samson has changed since we first watched this flying car take off.
asserted
car → catch → attention
Free CyberGuy LIVE class: Get Better Healthcare With AI Saturday, September 26 at 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT
Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson will show you five practical ways AI can help you organize your health history, remember important appointment details, understand complicated medical information, research prescriptions and prepare smarter questions for your doctor.
asserted
you → get → doctor
No technical experience is needed.
asserted
experience → need → ?
This flying sports car makes its wings disappear
asserted
wings → fly → ?
The latest Switchblade design looks much more like a car when you are using it on the road.
asserted
you → look → road
Samson says the wings, tail and propeller are now fully enclosed inside the vehicle during driving mode.
asserted
wings → say → mode
That is a major change from the earlier design that completed its first flight in November 2023.
asserted
that → complete → November
When you reach an airport, the wings extend and the tail moves into position for flight.
asserted
tail → reach → flight
Samson says the transformation from driving mode to flying mode takes about three minutes.
asserted
transformation → say → minutes
After you land, the process reverses.
asserted
process → land → ?
The flight hardware folds back inside the body before you continue the trip by road.
asserted
you → fold → road
Samson says that setup allows the Switchblade to fit inside a standard garage while also protecting the flight surfaces when the vehicle is being driven or stored.
asserted
vehicle → say → surfaces
The Switchblade does not take off vertically from your driveway.
asserted
Switchblade → take → driveway
You drive it to an airport, transform it into flight mode and take off from there.
asserted
You → drive → mode
The Switchblade we saw fly in 2023 has changed
We first covered the Switchblade after its official first flight on Nov. 5, 2023.
asserted
We → fly → Nov.
The prototype flew from Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake, Washington.
asserted
prototype → fly → Lake
Since then, Samson has kept working on the version it hopes to put into customers' hands.
asserted
it → keep → hands
The company has changed the design and increased the size of its engine.
asserted
company → change → engine
Samson says it plans to use three production prototypes for more testing around the end of 2026 or beginning of 2027.
asserted
it → say → 2027
So while we have already seen a Switchblade get off the ground, the version heading toward production has changed since that 2023 flight.
asserted
version → see → flight
That is why I am especially interested in what happens next.
asserted
what → happen → ?
I want to see the latest Switchblade take to the air and show us what this new design can actually do.
asserted
design → want → what
How fast could the Switchblade flying car go?
uncertain
car → fly → ?
Samson is targeting some attention-grabbing performance numbers.
asserted
Samson → target → numbers
The company currently lists a maximum airspeed of 190 mph and a maximum flying range of 450 miles.
asserted
company → list → miles
It lists a maximum road speed of 100 mph.
asserted
It → list → mph
Samson also lists a 160 mph cruise speed.
asserted
Samson → list → speed
However, its FAQ says that anticipated figure still needs verification during production-prototype flight testing.
asserted
figure → say → testing
The Switchblade uses a hybrid-electric drivetrain.
asserted
Switchblade → use → drivetrain
A gasoline engine powers a generator, which supplies electricity to the vehicle's motors.
asserted
which → power → motors
Samson says the system powers the wheels on the ground and the propellers in flight.
asserted
system → say → flight
…and 67 more, not listed.
The Aporia
